Getting professional feedback on your book.
One of the major problems writers face when they reach the end of their manuscript, is getting reliable and expert feedback/critique on the book as a whole. What’s working, what isn’t? Is there a plot hole or a cast of extraneous characters? Are you telling too much and not showing, is your dialogue sparkling, natural and working hard for you? Does that ending really work? Is it really ready for submission?
After working with new writers for almost 20 years, and having helped MANY to publication, Inkwell know that one of the biggest causes of rejection is sending out your book too early. Getting a Reader’s Report (sometimes known as a Critique – check out what Jane Casey has to say about the value of critique here.) will show you whether it’s ready to go and what needs doing to improve it.
Getting professional feedback
An Inkwell Reader’s Report will give you unbiased independent professional feedback on your book. Looking at every aspect of your novel, it is designed to kick start your own creativity so that you can improve what you have, and give you the tools to bring it to the next level. It is a professional critique from authors who write professionally or experts who understand your genre inside and out.
One of our most popular and worthwhile services, an experienced author will read your book and give you a summary of the areas that need attention, the bits that work and the bits that don’t. Inkwell/Writing.ie was founded by No 1 bestselling crime writer Sam Blake (Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin) she explains: “When I first started writing I was lucky enough to work closely with Treasa Coady in Town House Country House on one of my early books – the reader’s reports I received were invaluable, pinpointing areas that needed attention and giving much needed feedback on plot development, character and tips to make the book work. They vastly improved that book, but also my writing as a whole as they pinpointed mistakes and key areas of technique that I needed to develop.“
Contact us to discuss getting a Reader’s Report and we will ensure that an expert in your genre is assigned to your project.
An editor can edit the book structurally (click the link to read this article to see what’s involved) and will work right through your manuscript marking it with their comments on what areas need improving/developing/deleting. However an editor can only work with what they have on the page – it’s your job to get your book to the highest possible standard before you employ an editor, and a Readers Report will help you do that.
What does a Reader’s Report cost?
Reader’s Reports cost from €450 (plus VAT @ 23%) depending on the reader involved – we can provide a quote to you when we know word count and genre. The report is a written report detailing any areas of concern (and praise!) relating to plot development, character development and writing technique. Please contact us with the word count of your book for a quotation.
Where appropriate your report will also include advice on the market, and if you are writing for children, the appropriate age for your protagonist and your target reader.
Picture book reports are €195 for a manuscript up to 1000 words (feedback in a written report) plus VAT @ 23%
What does a Reader’s Report cover?
A Reader’s Report is a written report on your book. This means that you can consult it as you redraft/edit. If you have follow up questions for the reader who has read your book, these are delivered by email.
We have expert readers who are genre specialists and who can help with:
- Children’s books – from picture books upwards
- Sci-fi or fantasy
- Crime, thriller and suspense.
- Women’s Fiction
- Literary fiction
- Memoir
- Short story collections or individual stories
Story overview: The story overview gives you the opportunity to see exactly how a reader perceives your story. These notes have been taken during the progress of the first read and are an accurate record of this reader’s first reaction to the text.
Summary of areas you need to address in the next draft – an overview of the main points that need to be worked on.
Plot – does the plot work? Are there plot holes/inconsistencies? What are the areas that need addressing?
Subplot – have you developed subplots? If not , what areas can they look?
Pace – is it right for the market/do some sections work better than others?
Characters – the reader will outline the key characters as their perceive them, assessing their strengths and what needs to be done to improve or develop them.
Themes – Are there any? How can they be strengthened?
Writing Style
- Voice
- Writing techniques – how does the writer use them and what do they need to improve?
- Use of language
Market – what’s happening at the moment in this genre, tips to make the book more commercial
Chapter by chapter notes on text
Feedback from writers:
‘Just a quick note to say thank you to yourself and Mary. Following her script evaluation I edited my book One Step Forward and immediately afterwards got a two-book deal with Embla/Bonnier. Delighted.’ – Isobel Mahon
“I commissioned an Inkwell Reader’s Report for a fresh perspective, so I could take the early draft of my novel, Last of the Lucky Country (Southcoast One), to the next level. Vanessa’s service is second to none and Mary’s skilled assessment was invaluable. She was prompt but thorough and her comments were clear and incisive, giving me a fresh and comprehensive overview of what was (and wasn’t!) working. Her report covered micro manuscript concerns, such as word choice, right through to the macro, including plot, structure, voice and characterisation. Gaining that independent professional opinion on the whole novel proved a very positive experience and having Inkwell on my extended team has really paid off. It gave me the framework to efficiently complete my rewrite – now Lucky Country is shortlisted for the Northern Crime Awards.” Alex Reece Abbott
“Just getting back to say that I was really delighted with this report. These are the signposts my writing needs. I felt Sheena’s professional insights were spot on and I am going to look at all her suggestions and take them on board. Many thanks! Ann (Very Satisfied Customer)
Mary sent me a comprehensive report and it was the best thing that could have happened to my whining toddler. She highlighted issues of continuity, ambiguity, motivation and clarity. She brought a first-time reader’s detachment to a story that I knew too well to judge with the ruthless acuity that it needed. In practical terms, I did several things as a result. I completely rewrote the beginning and the ending. I re-ordered some scenes where Mary felt the action was too broken up and might cause confusion to the reader.
I had to work on motivation – one character in particular didn’t have his actions strongly enough portrayed, so a few scenes needed more muscle put into them. There were little things to fix too, things that could be so important to a reader’s fuller understanding…Mary pointed out that I knew my characters so well that I was forgetting that the reader was just getting to know them for the first time. I needed to keep that in mind and, if they were going to gain the reader’s sympathy, I had to draw the characters more clearly earlier on. I applied this insight to a reworking of some of the early scenes with the main female protagonist.
The benefit I gained from Inkwell’s Reader’s Report wasn’t just practical, however. It refreshed my view of the story, it set my imagination on fire again, it lit the fuse of determination to get this right once and for all, because this story was too good to allow to be less than the best it could be. I had this manuscript – the whiny toddler in the drawer. It went through an Inkwell Reader’s Report, grew up, and became Healer of My Heart. Sheila Turner Johnston
Readers Reports are ideal for writers who have redrafted their book several times and have got to the point where they can’t see what else needs doing to improve it. If you’ve just finished your first draft, this article will help you with the second draft.
